The 12 startups using tech to tackle Europe's refugee crisis

Tech startups are helping refugees settle in new places by hooking them up with bank accounts, employers and landlords

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Over one million refugees fled war-torn Syria and Afghanistan to seek asylum in Europe in 2015, according to the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees, creating a migration crisis on a scale not seen since the Second World War. Help is at hand for the displaced thousands arriving on unfamiliar shores.

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"Refugees are disoriented and vulnerable," says Joanne Liu, 51, international president of Doctors Without Borders. "Their phones don't work, data is expensive and they can't tell their families they are safe." So tech startups are doing something about it, from orienting newcomers on arrival to hooking them up with potential landlords, employers and Wi-Fi.

According to Liu, refugees’ first tech need is connectivity. “Give them free SIM cards, set up satellites,” she says. “But first, we need water, sanitation, food and shelter – and these issues aren’t covered.”

Here are some of the best tech startups addressing the crisis all over the world.

Funzi

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Finnish startup Funzi provides a "learning package" on the country's everyday life, language and legal system. Available in six languages, its free app, originally intended for African markets, also offers mobile courses on employment and entrepreneurship. Funzi's 47-year-old founder Aape Pohjavirta counts "tens of thousands of users" in Finland, Estonia and Iraq.

The Refugee Phrasebook

Set up by Berlin-based volunteers, The Refugee Phrasebook is an open-source vocabulary aid that covers basic legal and medical phrases in 28 languages.

Refugees Open Ware

Jordanian startup Refugees Open Ware (ROW) is teaching refugees how to turn waste material into tools. Founded by Dave Levin and Loay Malahmeh, ROW has set up maker spaces in camps, bringing in 3D printers to make educational replicas of unexploded bombs.

Hababy

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EmpowerHack has launched Hababy, an app providing prenatal care information for pregnant women. Available in Arabic and English and accessible offline, it "explains symptoms and redirects refugees to healthcare in the country they are in," says Hababy co-founder Alessandro Crimi, 34.

GeeCycle

Techfugees' UK hackathons have resulted in the launch of GeeCycle, a London-based organisation that distributes old smartphones to refugees arriving in Greece. It's also developed Meshpoint, a Wi-Fi access point.

Flüchtlinge Willkommen

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Flüchtlinge Willkommen ("Refugees Welcome") was the first "Airbnb for refugees". Founded by German flatmates Jonas Kakoschke and Mareike Geiling, it has helped 600 people across Europe since 2014.

Refugeehero.com

In the Netherlands, Refugeehero.com, launched in 2015 by Germaine Statia, Jamal Oulel and Ayoub Aouragh, advertises spare rooms and negotiates with municipalities for space in schools and other public buildings.

CALM

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In France, the CALM (Comme à la Maison, or "At Home") project from Singa matches refugees to landlords with vacancies, for periods of up to six months.

Refugees on Rails

Moni

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Founded by Antti Pennanen, Moni's digital debit and pre-paid cards have allowed 4,000 refugees in Finland, who are denied bank accounts, to receive the government's monthly allowance. And when they find employment, the salary can be paid into a Moni account.

NaTakallam

NaTakallam connects displaced Syrians with Arabic speakers for language lessons held over Skype.

This article was first published in the October 2016 issue of WIRED magazine